Part 20

¶ But þou mayst wel seen how greet apparailes {and} aray þat me lakkeþ þat ben passed awey fro me. 1056

¶ I haue su{m}what auau{n}ced {and} forþered þe q{uod} she. if þat þou anoie nat or forþenke nat of al þi fortune. As who seiþ. ¶ I haue somwhat comforted þe so þat þou tempest nat þe þus wiþ al þi fortune. syn þou hast 1060 ȝit þi best þinges.

¶ But I may nat suffre þin delices. þat pleinst so wepyng. {and} anguissous for þat oþer lakkeþ somwhat to þi welefulnesse.

¶ For what man is so sad or of so p{er}fit welefulnesse. þat he ne 1064 stryueþ or pleyneþ on some half aȝeine þe qualitee of his estat.

¶ For whi ful anguissous þing is þe condiciou{n} of mans goodes. ¶ For eyþer it comeþ al to gidre to a wyȝt. or ellys it lasteþ not p{er}petuely. 1068

¶ For som man haþ grete rycchesse. but he is asshamed of hys vngentil lynage.

{and} som man is renomed of noblesse of kynrede. but he is enclosed in so grete angre for nede of þinges. þat hym were leuer þat 1072 he were vnknowe.

and som ma{n} habundeþ boþe i{n} rychesse {and} noblesse. but ȝit he bywaileþ hys chast lijf. for he haþ no wijf. [[pg 42]]

¶ and som man is wel {and} selily maried but he haþ no children. {and} norissheþ his 1076 ricchesse to þe heires of straunge folk. ¶ And som man is gladded wiþ children. but he wepiþ ful sory for þe trespas of his son or of his douȝtir.

¶ and for þis þer accordeþ no wyȝt lyȝtly to þe condic{i}ou{n} of his fortune. 1080 for alwey to euery man þere is i{n} mest somwhat þat vnassaieþ he ne wot not or ellys he drediþ þat he haþ assaied.

¶ {And} adde þis also þat euery weleful man haþ a wel delicat felyng. ¶ So þat but yif alle 1084 þinges fallen at hys owen wille for he inpacient or is nat vsed to han none aduersitee. an-oone he is þrowe adoũne for euery lytel þing.

¶ And ful lytel þinges ben þo þat wiþdrawen þe so{m}me or þe p{er}fecc{i}ou{n} of 1088 blisfulnesse fro hem þat ben most fortunat.

¶ How many men trowest þou wolde demen hem self to ben almost in heuene yif þei myȝten atteyne to þe leest p{ar}tie of þe remenaunt of þi fortune. ¶ Þis same place 1092 þat þou clepist exil is contre to hem þat enhabiten here.

{and} forþi. Noþing wrecched. but whan þou wenest it

¶ As who seiþ. þouȝ þi self ne no wyȝt ellys nys no wrecche but whan he weneþ hym self a 1096 wrecche by reputac{i}ou{n} of his corage.

CONTRAQ{UE}.

++And aȝeinewarde al fortune is blisful to a man by þe agreablete or by þe egalite of hym þat suffreþ it. ¶ What man is þat. þat is so weleful þat nolde chau{n}ge{n} 1100 his estat whan he haþ lorn pacience. þe swetnesse of mannes welefulnesse is yspranid wiþ many bitternesses. þe whiche welefulnesse al þouȝ it seme swete {and} [[pg 43]] ioyeful to hym þat vseþ it. ȝit may it not be wiþ-holden 1104 þat it ne goþ away whan it wol.

¶ Þan is it wel sen how wrecched is þe blisfulnesse of mortel þinges.

þat neiþ{er} it dwelliþ p{er}petuel wiþ hem þat euery fortune receyuen agreablely or egaly. ¶ Ne it ne deliteþ not in 1108 al. to hem þat ben anguissous.

¶ O ye mortel folkes what seke *ȝe þan blisfulnesse oute of ȝoure self. whiche þat is put in ȝoure self. Erro{ur} {and} folie co{n}fou{n}deþ ȝow ¶ I shal shewe þe shortly. þe poynt of souereyne 1112 blisfulnesse.

Is þer any þing to þe more p{re}ciouse þan þi self ¶ Þou wilt answere nay.

¶ Þan if it so be þat þou art myȝty ouer þi self þat is to seyn by tranquillitee of þi soule. þan hast þou þing i{n} þi power þat þou 1116 noldest neuer lesen. ne fortune may nat by-nyme it þe.

{and} þat þou mayst knowe þat blisfulnesse may nat standen in þinges þat ben fortunous {and} te{m}perel.

¶ Now vndirstonde {and} gadir it to gidir þus 1120 yif blisfulnesse be þe souereyne goode of nature þat liueþ by resou{n} ¶ Ne þilke þing nis nat souereyne goode þat may be taken awey in any wyse. for more worþi þing {and} more digne is þilke þing þ{a}t may nat be 1124 taken awey.

¶ Þan shewiþ it wele þat þe vnstablenesse of fortune may nat attayne to receyue verray blisfulnes. ¶ And ȝit more ouer.

¶ What man þat þis toumblyng welefulnesse leediþ. eiþer he woot þat 1128 is chaungeable. or ellis he woot it nat.

¶ And yif he woot it not. what blisful fortune may þer be in þe blyndenesse of ignorau{n}ce. and yif he woot þat it is chaungeable. he mot alwey ben adrad þ{a}t he ne lese 1132 þat þing. þat he ne douteþ nat but þat he may leesen it.

¶ As whoo seiþ he mot ben alwey agast lest he leese þat he wot wel he may leese. ¶ For whiche þe continuel drede þat he haþ ne suffriþ hym nat to ben 1136 weleful. ¶ Or ellys yif he leese it he wene to be dispised {and} forleten hit. ¶ Certis eke þat is a ful lytel goode þat is born wiþ euene hert whan it is loost. ¶ Þat is to seyne þat men don no more force. 1140 of þe lost þan of þe hauynge.